Fed up with Satnav help please!
In France at moment and fed up with my Tom Tom sending us down very narrow lanes which are too small to enable us to pass other MHs , when we arrive home in September we will be looking for a Satnav that will allow us to go down yellow D roads and other larger roads but not white roads ( on the maps) which are too narrow. I believe the cmc sell one but does it do what we want? We have put up with this problem ever since Satnavs came on the market but not any more. Thanks in anticipation for any helpful replies.
etap.
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totally agree with David, you almost certainly have it set to fastest route...
this means it will do everything in its power to save you a few metres...by cutting a corner via a tiny lane etc....
have a check of the settings ('fastest' will prioritise major roads) and, as David suggests, ALWAYS check what it has planned for you so you dont get any surprises mid route.
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yes, i did, thanks for that.....thinking too far ahead, lol
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I don't have a fastest route only "shortest" and "practical" but I can set road preferences e.g. favour major roads and motorways and avoid local streets and minor roads. It will of course route down the roads set as to be avoided but only as a last resort and then warn me.
peedee
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We always make the final decision at any junction.
It either looks OK or not!
Never been caught out yet.
Works very well at around £100 for a 'normal' satnav instead of £300 to £400?
PS. Mine is set to 'Fastest' route.....occasionally it suggests an obvious shortcut but see above.
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We have the Tom Tom go 6000 and if I use the web app My Drive to set a route and send it to the device via the net I can set a preference for a truck and put in the dimensions etc. However on the device itself there is no such option.
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I just have the one built into the car. Not sure what make but I can select fastest and prioritise road types. Just remember to switch on use toll routes if your going via London, otherwise you get some very interesting routes avoiding the dart crossing.
When towing, as others have said, I always review the selected route and compare with a map. Occasionally I find a really daft short cut along a very narrow road, or a missing motorway junction, so it can't exit where it should. However, generally it works well and little modification is required.
As any sat Nav is only as good as the mapping programmed into it and there are always going to be errors in input, I don't foresee a day in my lifetime when I would ever trust one without review.
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I have owned two TomTom sat navs over the years and I think I have been caught out only a couple of times which were probably my own fault
My current TomTom is a Start 60 which is about 6 years old and I added the Camper Maps and have to say it's been pretty reliable. The only time it attempts to take me down the wrong roads is when you have missed,or ignored, the right turning so it desperately tries to get you back on course. A previous Garmin was much worse and despite TomTom not seeming to offer a specialised caravan/motorhome sat nav any more I would be reluctant to change to a Garmin. That is likely totally misplaced but once bitten etc. What I would be interested in is the TomTom Truck which was suggested to me on the TomTom forum which allows you to either put the type of vehicle, from car to HGV, or the dimensions. It costs about £289. I suppose I should add the usual caveat in that a sat nav is only a tool and is not completely foolproof so it is always advisable to check the route before setting off and ideally check it against a map.David
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My old TomTom (and by old I mean it wasn't a flat screen) had a setting for use motorways and major roads which was great, it chose motorways then dual carriageways and so on. When I bought a new one last year (the old one died) it didn't have this feature and would always try and send me down some back road. I played about with the settings and eventually it 'behaved' itself, I think it is now on fastest.
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Maybe something like Copilot would work better as it has a caravan / mhome setting. Quite how good it is I do not know. However it is very easy to "add to route" points that will be followed. I use it for investigating routes rather than being used as a satnav.
My routing system of last resort is a TomTom 5000, you can set route or waypoints, but is no means perfect if left to its own decisions. Generally. It tells me when there is a diversion because of a hold up. The choice is mine. However it does suffer from "let's go this way and don't tell anyone I said so !" Usually when I'm motoring down a main road, wants to turn me down a very iffy looking road.
Whilst live traffic information is useful, but when the satnav is interactive and makes its own decisions where to go, it is not helpful.
Rgds
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I have the Garmin Avtex Camper one and with it in Caravan mode - you enter your vehicles dimensions - it didn't let me down in France - although it has a couple of times in the UK - but I have learnt not to entirely trust the Sat Nav with a decent roadmap.
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David's advice here is about the best you will get here about Sat nav, always remember it is a tool to help you not something for you to completely depend on.
There are Maps that will help you plan, make your own choices, drive a bit further to stay on good roads, if the sites web page has directions, use them they put them there for a reason.
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My Co-Pilot allows me to set the rig size and weight so that it can pick up on any road and bridge restrictions en-route.
I can also set the maximum average speeds I expect to achieve on the various grades of road i.e. 60mph for motorways and 8mph for country lanes. The net effect is that it chooses motorways and duel carriageways in preference to country lanes. If there are any obstacles on a chosen route it issues a warning, something that it sometimes does for final approaches to caravan sites.
Having said all that if possible I still check the route on Google Earth.
So far so good.
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We use the sat nav for the main part of the journey but for 'final approach' we use the directions from the club
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That is generally our approach as well. Our TomTom does have a facility to view the final part of the route to the destination which could be checked against the Club instructions. If I am going to a site I am unfamiliar with I also tend to check it out on Google Earth and Streetview as I tend to find if I can visualise the final approach it helps as we get near to the site.
David
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The same as David. Tomtom start 25 plus camper map, plus quick view on google earth for final aproach.
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Just remember to select caravan on the main screen!
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I bought a new tomtom satnav and it is a nightmare. It does not matter whether I click fastest, shortest or eco, the thing has a will of its own.
My old satnav was no longer supported by tomtom but never let me down.
For example, if you want to go from A to B on a main road, it will default to a minor back road which is shorter, even if it has passing places and grass growing up the centre. I used it in Corwall and Devon recently and after being caught out on one road which took me through a town back street with mirrors pulled in (I have a VW campervan) with an inch to spare either side, realised that a map is essential so as to plan a sensible route. When I got back to where I had followed tomtom off the main road, I saw a sign that said,'turn off your satnav and stay on the main road'!!
I frequently drive between E Midlands and Windsor. From there, there are 3 decent routes; M4/M25/M1, M4/M40 leading to either M69 or M42 but it refuses to give me M69. I just take the road and eventually, it stops telling me to do a U turn.
It is great for spotting money cameras so I never drive without it switched off. I switch it on as I near my destination.
Tomtom is lousy. I wish I had switched to Garmin.
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For those with later Tomtoms and do not know this tip.
Set a route from A to B.
You can insert a waypoint by finding the road you want to pass through.
Zoom to maximum the road area, put a point in the middle of the road and use the add to route choice.
TT will recalculate the route,
However;
The reason for zooming to maximum is to avoid the TT taking the point as an address. If TT sees the address, it will continually tell you to U turn to return to the address.
If the point is in the road, TT will tell you you have reached your destination a couple of times, then carry on navigating
It is better to put the waypoints in order, than to just add them and recalculate. Adding waypoints randomly causes TT some times to work out circular routes.
Also if you get a traffic diversion advice from TT and you take it, this may have the effect of wiping out your waypoints as a new route is calculated. Not helpful.
Plan B, keep a list of routes and road numbers as a standby.
Rgds
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Les
I am beginning to understand the frustration with TomTom. Today I tried to add some of Archie's POI's to my device. Apparently you can no longer add a small image file so that you can see the POI's you have just loaded. It seems that TomTom have become very user unfriendly compared to how they started out. Given the amount of feedback they have on their website you would think they would take the hint? They seem to work a bit like Microsoft when someone points out a flaw in their system. My Start 60 has been very good but it's getting on now and I am torn by what to replace it with. Now I have a built in one in my car I might have a few more options for my motorhome.
David
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You certainly need to use your brain with these things.
My Nissan one would, locally, send me round two sides of a Pythagorean triangle rather than along the hypotenuse, i.e. 700yards as apposed to 500 yards.
Multiply that sort of error by miles, then 10's of miles and you lose out on time and fuel costs.
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Many thanks to all for your suggestions ( apologies for delay in replying still in France and Wifi not always available) Looks like the general opinion is to avoid silly looking turn offs and continue on until Satnav re routes you, also check Satnav directions when possible.
enjoy
etap
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